This application requests funding to support the travel expenses of early career epithelial biologists presenting their research at the Epithelial Transport Group (ETG) scientific sessions at Experimental Biology (EB) 2018. The ETG sessions occur within the annual American Physiological Society (APS) meeting, which will take place April 21-25, 2018 in San Diego, CA as part of EB2018. The meeting will be held at San Diego Convention Center, which offers an ADA-compliant infrastructure for individuals with disabilities and special needs. ETG has a longstanding history of promoting interactions among physiologists from diverse backgrounds who study biological processes in epithelia. We also encourage students, postdoctoral fellows, and instructors to develop research careers in epithelial biology. Based on prior experience and years of annual survey data, trainees consistently view the annual ETG sessions at EB as a valuable training experience that reinforces their interest in the field. Thus, we strive to optimize trainee exposure to ETG-related events by providing travel award support for promising early career investigators with limited resources. All trainees who submit abstracts to ETG-curated categories via the EB abstract submission portal will be eligible for travel awards. The abstracts will be reviewed and scored by a 17-member Steering Committee, who will then allocate the awards based on merit. Award amounts will be contingent on the funds that are available. Regardless of the amount, however, it is our plan to budget an additional supplement to awardees with child/family care needs that exceed the existing childcare services that will be provided on site. Top scoring abstracts will be selected for oral presentation in Featured Topic sessions that will be headlined by the annual Ussing and Hebert lectures. In 2018, these prestigious lectureships will recognize Drs. Alicia McDonough and Ursula Seidler for their important contributions to epithelial biology and transport. This format has proven popular among trainees, as it provides an exciting opportunity for talented early career physiologists to present their research alongside preeminent scientists in a formal but collegial setting. An 8-hour ?pre-EB? symposium will provide additional opportunities for junior investigators to orally present their work in a less formal atmosphere, and poster sessions will serve as a nexus for detailed scientific discussions, interaction between trainees and established investigators, and networking. ETG will also augment its educational program by hosting a state-of-the art symposium that covers a specific topic of interest to its membership. This year?s ETG symposium will feature four accomplished scientists from the fields of bioengineering, stem cell biology, and physiology to discuss recent major advances that have made it possible to engineer epithelial organs in vitro for investigation of epithelial development, physiology and human disease. Given ETG?s commitment to trainee mentoring, we believe that the support provided by this application will dovetail with the proposed meeting structure to enhance the career development of junior scientists interested in epithelial physiology.